Family

Good families

Bad families

Tall families

Small families

Fat families

Skinny families

Your family

My family

What makes a good family?

What are the rules we must abide?

To live up to the standards

Of the world passing by?

Is it love?

Is it money?

Is it passion?

Is it fame?

Or is it making people think

That you’re playing a different game?

Must I live in a façade?

Of what the world expects me to be?

Why can’t my peers, my teachers, my parents,

Why can’t they see?

The days just pass me by

All in uniform

Little do they know that under the mask

I live in a world where all passion is torn

Now, close your eyes and picture this

And maybe you’ll understand

Do you know what it’s like to live

While eating out of everyone’s hand?

Have you ever been a puppet?

Strings guiding where you go?

A painted smile on your face

So that nobody would know?

Of the true feelings you dare not show?

For fear they won’t agree?

Where all means of freedom are stripped from under you

Do you know what it’s like to be me?

Day by day, hour by hour

It never seems to change

The world expects something of me

My life isn’t allowed to be strange

Wake up, go to school, and get perfect grades

Nothing less than a 96 will do

Now I ask you, think long and hard

Do your parent’s expect that of you?

Time for lunch, I think I can handle that

I can’t do anything wrong, right? Oh no

Because if I don’t choose right, I’ll be sure to gain weight

And that’s not accepted in today’s status quo.

Band practice, that’s always fun

I love playing the trumpet, no doubt

But my dad forces me to overdo it

Why can’t he figure it out?

Maybe I don’t want to join jazz band

Maybe collage bands are something I’m just not ready to hear

Ok, I’m good, I understand that, but I’ll go at my own pace

Is that alright daddy dear?

No of course not! What was I thinking?

I’m really sorry to ask

Because I know that I’m not allowed to make my own choices

I’ll go put on my mask

My mom say’s she wants me to by happy

But we don’t see eye to eye

Happy can have various meanings

But with which must we live by?

To my mom, happiness means popularity

Having hundreds of friends is the key

But if your few friends are the best, who needs a hundred?

That’s what I see

“You’re fat, you’re ugly

Do something with your hair

Why do we tell you these things?

Sweetie it’s because we care.”

But do you really care about me?

Or of the image you must withhold?

Does it matter if I’m made of ashes

If on the outside I’m painted gold?

Do I come from a broken home?

Depends on what you see I guess

I’m not poor, my family’s not apart

The house is never a mess

But there isn’t a day that goes by

That I don’t want to scream

Just cry out the pains of the world

…Know what I mean?

But mom and dad, there is a ray of hope

I failed to mention before

Must’ve slipped my mind

It will make things better I’m sure

You didn’t mess up completely

When you gave birth to me

Though I may not live up to par

There is one thing I did oversee

My sister is perfect

Is anything wrong with her?

You can always marvel at her work

While my life passes in blur

Perfect grades, and that’s a fact

She was one of few who Aced her math mid-term

Amazing skier, cares about how she looks

And here I stand, the family germ

So, look upon these facts, take a moment to understand

My view on life

And maybe you’ll understand

Why I always have a look of sadness and strife

So before I part with this pen and paper

There is one more thing I should say

It may hurt me with each letter I write

But it doesn’t matter anyway

I should say I’m sorry

For not being who you want me to be

I’m sorry for failing you

I’m sorry for being me

Good families

Bad families

Tall families

Small families

Fat families

Skinny families

Your family

My family